WHAT WILL BE THE RESULT?

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17219, 10 December 1923, Page 10

WHAT WILL BE THE RESULT?

MANY ALTERNATIVES. LONDON. December 8. “ AVhat will happen next?” is everywhere being asked. The Press discusses the situation speculatively, agreeing that it is unprecedented. The variety of alternatives debated may be summed up this way : (1) That Air Baldwin might resign and that the King might not accept his resignation. Air Baldwin would carry on with uncontent-ious legislation and another election would be held in twelve months’ time. (2) Lord Derby, and other nontariff members, might carry on instead of Air Baldwin. (8) The Conservatives and Liberals might form a coalition. >4.) The King might send for Air Ramsay Alaedonald who would agree to form a Cabinet, the Conservatives

and Liberals acquiescing on condition that there should l>e no contentious legislation or capital levy. (5) Labour and Liberals might form a coalition and carry measures mutually agreed upon. Regarding the point the “DailyHerald” says editorially :—“ When Air Baldwin resigns, as he must, the King will send for Air MacDonald. The Asquithian Liberals are suggesting a coalition with a Labour Prime Alinister, Mr Asquith holding a prominent post and Lord Grey becoming Foreign ►Secretary. They say that Labour and Liberals, ai any rate, agree regarding foreign affairs. Our reply is that nothing of the kind will he listened to bv the leaders or the rank and file of the Laboiir Party. To suggest that Karl Grey and Air Asquith are in harmony with Labour’s views on foreign policy is to betray ignorance of the history of the past twenty yeare. AYhatever the alternative, oven if it is a realisation of the Beaverbrook-Rotliermero plan to revive the Lloyd George coalition, it must be preferred by us to any union with men whom we have such unconquei able reason to distrust. Between official Liberalism and Labour foreign affaire form as great a gulf as Home affairs. All we have to do is to wait awhile for complete power. A Tory-Liberal coalition will play into our hands, and drive all decent Libefals into Labour’s ranks. At the next election Labour will sweep the board.”